Your
ob/gyn performs a clinical
breast exam to check for any abnormal
lumps or thicknesses in your breasts that could be signs of breast
cancer. As an adult, you should be performing monthly breast
self-exams.
It’s important that you know what your breasts feel like
so you can talk to your provider if you notice any changes. If
you have
any questions about the breast self-exam, your ob/gyn will be able
to help you at this time of your visit.

During your clinical breast
exam, your provider will use many of the techniques you perform
in your self-exam, looking for discoloration
and abnormalities in the way the breasts look, pressing around
your nipple, feeling your breast, and asking you to put your
hands and
arms in different positions. Your ob/gyn can also talk to you
about how to do a self-exam if you have questions. Your ob/gyn
will ask
you to lie down and sit up to check your breasts in different
positions. If your ob/gyn sees something abnormal, he or she will
recommend
the proper options for further testing, which could include diagnostic
mammography, MRI, ultrasound or a biopsy.